Conventional telecommunications carrier network response to a large-scale cyber attack is generally either very slow or are highly unselective. Security planners are concerned about viruses and malware that can be downloaded to smartphones and attack carrier networks, such as by initiating a denial of service attack, etc. Smartphones may still become infected, despite mobile anti-virus software, and malware, botnets, etc. can pose a significant threat to services on a carrier network, for example by subjecting the carrier network to a massive-scale attack.
A typical response to a determination that a cyber attack is occurring can be brutally coarse. Responses for some carrier networks include simply shutting down entire markets that include attacking user equipment, such as smartphones, femto-cells, etc. This highly unselective response to a cyber attack on a carrier network may stop or limit the effects of the cyber attack, but such response comes at the cost of potentially denying service to uninfected user equipment.
Another response to a cyber attack can include manually or individually updating profiles associated with user equipment to deny those specific devices a pathway to propagate the attack into a carrier network. This type of response can be effective for small-scale cyber attacks, but is woefully insufficient for large scale attacks where the cumulative response time would be untenable.
Further, detection of a cyber attack can be executed by carrier network systems that may not be logically located near a carrier network front end. By having a carrier security system logically removed from the carrier network front end, responses to the initiation of a cyber attack can be delayed, for example, by routing traffic information poorly, which causes a delay in the analysis of traffic patterns, etc. Delays in determining the start of a cyber attack can allow the cyber attack to be much more effective and thus, early detection and response is beneficial.
The above-described deficiencies of conventional telecommunications carrier response to a cyber attack are merely intended to provide an overview of some of problems of current technology, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art, and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein, may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.